Defence Secretary John Healey has defended the government's handling of Angela Rayner's resignation, insisting she is "not a victim" despite growing pressure within Labour ranks. Healey said "any government is stronger" with Rayner but praised Sir Keir Starmer (Labour)'s "clear, swift, fair action" following her departure.
Rayner quit as housing secretary, deputy leader and deputy prime minister after the Prime Minister's ethics watchdog found she breached the ministerial code. The former deputy mistakenly underpaid stamp duty on a seaside flat she bought in Hove earlier this year.
Government defends reshuffle response
Healey rejected criticism from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham about the government's "balance" and treatment of backbenchers. "I dispute that. Our focus has been on the public that elected us, the delivery that we're charged to change their lives," he told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
The Defence Secretary acknowledged the government would "miss Angela Rayner" but insisted she had "been an inspiration to many, particularly working-class women". An independent ethics investigation found Rayner acted in "good faith" but concluded "the responsibility of any taxpayer for reporting their tax returns and settling their liabilities rests ultimately with themselves."
Starmer conducted a major Cabinet reshuffle following Rayner's departure, appointing David Lammy as Deputy Prime Minister. The Prime Minister told his new team to "go up a gear" with delivery at the forefront of their agenda.
Deputy leadership contest looms
The party now faces a deputy leadership contest that could overshadow the upcoming conference. Burnham backed Louise Haigh, who resigned as transport secretary last year after a fraud conviction emerged, or former Commons leader Lucy Powell for the role.
Burnham argued a candidate from northern England would counter the "London centricity" of existing leadership. Powell was removed in this week's Cabinet shake-up, while Haigh left government in November after admitting she incorrectly told police a work mobile phone was stolen in 2013.
Some Labour backbenchers expressed harsh criticism of the changes and their implications for government direction. "Angela made an unbalanced Cabinet look slightly more balanced," one backbencher said, adding that "Starmer just signed his own death warrant" and "has to be gone before (Christmas)."
Severance payment pressure
Rayner faces Opposition pressure to reject a severance payment of up to £16,876 that departing Cabinet ministers can claim. New Labour rules taking effect in October will allow the Prime Minister to deny payments to ministers found guilty of "serious breach" of ministerial code.
However, because Rayner's departure precedes these changes, ministers say it remains her decision whether to accept the payment under existing rules.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
